Getting a quote
What should I ask a sealcoating contractor?
Ask what the sealer is by name, what happens to the cracks first, how long you stay off it, and what insurance is in place.
The numbers
- The sealer, by product name.
- How the cracks are handled, and whether the filler goes in hot.
- How the surface is cleaned, and how oil spots are treated.
- How many coats, and where a second coat goes.
- The cure time before cars and before heavy vehicles.
- Liability insurance, and workers compensation where there are employees.
The questions about the material
Ask which sealer is going down, by its product name rather than its category, and ask whether it is coal tar or an asphalt emulsion. Both are sold in Wisconsin and you cannot tell them apart once they are on the ground.
Ask about the crack filler in the same breath. Hot rubber goes in around 400 degrees and bonds to both walls of the crack. Pourable cold filler sits in the top of it. They are different products doing different jobs and they last different lengths of time.
The questions about the preparation
Most of the outcome is decided before any sealer comes off the truck. Ask how the surface gets cleaned, what happens to oil spots, and whether the grass gets cut back off the edges. Sealer does not bond to dirt or to oil, and those are the two places a coat peels first.
Ask what happens to the areas that are past sealing. A drive with an area that gives underfoot needs that area repaired, and a quote that coats over it is a quote for a season.
The questions about after
Ask how long before you can put a car back on it and how long before anything heavier. Ask what to do about turning your wheels while stopped, which is what scuffs fresh sealer. On a commercial lot, ask which areas are out of service when and get it in writing.
Ask for proof of liability insurance, and for workers compensation coverage if there will be employees on your property. It is a normal request and it is easy for anybody carrying it to produce.